By Michael P. Walsh
Special to the Voice
City first responders rolled out the red carpet and welcomed former United Airlines flight attendant Paul “Paulie” Veneto and his airline beverage cart to West Haven on Sept. 1.
Veneto, 67, of Braintree, Massachusetts, lost several colleagues when United Airlines Flight 175 was flown into the south tower of New York’s World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001.
Leading up to the 25th anniversary of the attacks, Veneto once again honored his friends by pushing his beverage cart — decorated with photos of all four 9/11 flight crews — from Boston to Manhattan’s ground zero.
The annual trek, called Paulie’s Push, benefits the families of his former colleagues and Power Forward 25, a nonprofit organization that helps people with addiction.
This year’s “final” push departed from Boston on Aug. 15 and averaged about 20 miles a day.
On Sept. 1 in West Haven, as part of his over 200-mile journey to New York City, fire and police officials gave Veneto a hero’s welcome at the Kimberly Avenue bridge before leading him to West Haven Fire Department headquarters on Elm Street.
Veneto pushed his beverage cart alongside four other carts pushed by firefighters amid a procession of emergency vehicles and the Paulie’s Push motor home. Each cart is emblazoned with the airline name, logo and flight information of the four planes that crashed on 9/11.
American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into the World Trade Center’s north tower, and United Airlines Flight 175 crashed into the south tower. American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, and United Airlines Flight 93 crashed in a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
At fire headquarters, Veneto was greeted by Mayor Dorinda Borer, Chief James P. O’Brien and other public safety officials, as well as none other than FDNY 9/11 survivor Mickey Kross.
Kross, a retired New York City Fire Department lieutenant who now lives in West Haven, responded to the attack on the twin towers and survived the collapse of the north tower.
In front of the firehouse, Veneto delivered moving remarks and recounted the bravery of 9/11 flight attendants and passengers as firefighters and officers from West Haven’s three fire departments and Police Department looked on, many visibly emotional.
Veneto was then accompanied by four new “pushers,” including Borer, Police Chief Joseph S. Perno and Deputy Fire Chief William S. Johnson IV, and proceeded from Savin Avenue to Captain Thomas Boulevard, making stops at Bradley Point Park and Savin Rock Park.
Standing behind a lectern in the Bradley Point parking lot, Borer read and presented Veneto with an official proclamation recognizing his philanthropic work and declaring “Paul ‘Paulie’ Veneto Day” in West Haven.
“On this day, September 1, 2026, the City of West Haven and its courageous first responders are proud to have Paulie push his beverage cart across our community, passing through our historic Savin Rock shoreline and giving our residents the distinct privilege to stand alongside him, honor the heroes of 9/11 and support his noble cause,” said Borer, reading the proclamation.
The mayor continued, “I urge all residents to join me in welcoming Paulie, honoring the memory of the flight crews of September 11 and supporting his life-changing philanthropic work.”
A crowd of public safety officials, including City of West Haven Fire Department Allingtown Deputy Chief Keith T. Flood, and residents applauded as Veneto humbly thanked Borer and first responders for their support and hospitality.
“Thank you, I don’t know what to say,” said Veneto, who received a West Haven Fire Department Paulie’s Push 25th anniversary banner from O’Brien and Johnson.
Veneto added: “I’m just a guy pushing a cart. This year is special — I was able to accomplish what I set out to do. Thank you all for doing this!”
In the background, as he concluded his remarks, hundreds of American flags blew in the wind near Long Island Sound at Savin Rock’s “Field of Flags.”
The sea of flags represents the 343 New York City firefighters who died in the line of duty on Sept. 11, along with more than 451 active and retired FDNY members who have died of 9/11-related illnesses, including cancer. Nearly 3,000 people died in the attacks.
Paulie’s Push continued from Bradley Point’s Veterans Walk of Honor to Milford’s Woodmont borough.
At the pedestrian bridge near Sea Bluff Beach’s Charlotte Bacon playground, the West Shore Fire Department took over beverage cart duty, with Chief Rafael Zayas, Capt. Collin McBurney and Lt. Rebecca DeFrance pushing carts alongside Veneto to department headquarters on Ocean Avenue and beyond.